GrodsCorp

Wartime propaganda: Leist we forget

Wednesday 30 January 2008, 1:10 pm

Ant Rogenous

Categories: Blogosphere, Weird shit

Tags: AANCC, ArtHistory, DarrinHodges, FredLeist, propaganda, war

Australian Chivalry, by Fred Leist I noticed this classic piece of World War I propaganda while checking out Darrin (sic) Hodges’ Anglo-Australian National Community Council website yesterday.

Hodges, it must be said, is an intriguing fellow. Legend has it he founded the AANCC after being denied membership to the Canberra chapter of the Ku Klux Klan, on the basis that he was too ignorant and mean-spirited, and that he spelled “abbows” incorrectly on his application form.

This post isn’t about Hodges, though — if I wanted to discuss excruciating and embarrassing turds, I’d make an appointment to see a proctologist. Rather, it concerns an interesting tale about the creator of this propaganda poster, Australian artist Frederick William Leist (1873–1945).

Fred Leist rose to prominence in the 1890s as an illustrator for The Bulletin and the Sydney Mail. He moved to London in the early 1900s to pursue his painting career, and found some success there.

But like most artists, Leist found that to make ends meet he had to supplement his art with commissions and odd jobs — and his oddest job of all was designing recruiting posters during World War I.

The poster above was his last, due to a little-known misunderstanding.

In 1916 the War Office commissioned a piece from Leist entitled Australian Chivalry. The creative brief for the poster took the form of a telegraph, which — due to Leist’s experience and exemplary record with the Office — dispensed with the usual detailed instructions and simply requested a “depiction of Digger with crusader; tone more gay than gruesome”.

The wording proved most unfortunate: the War Office couldn’t have known that Leist was well ahead of his time lexicologically; likewise, Leist couldn’t have known that the term “gay” wouldn’t come into popular usage as a euphemism for homosexual for several decades.

An understandably confused Leist, who felt somewhat indebted to the War Office, didn’t want to appear foolish by requesting clarification; so he set about creating three slightly different paintings that would work either as a series or as individual posters, depending on which option best reflected his employer’s concept.

The staunchly conservative War Office was mortified by the posters Leist submitted, but a looming print deadline meant recommissioning the job was not an option. They reluctantly chose the least questionable of the three, paid Leist and never sought his services again.

The complete set was thought to have been lost or destroyed, but as luck would have it was recently discovered on my PC. CLICK HERE to view it.

15 Comments

Wah (Wednesday 30 January 2008, 1:25 pm) #

Mr Rogenous,
Those images risk fatwah for two reasons.

Firstly they link Australian soldiers who fought the Turks, with the Crusades which suggests that rather than try and secure naval passage through the Dardenelles, the ANZACs went to Gallipoli to kill as many “Mossers” in the name of Christ as as they could.

Secondly (and please feel free to moderate this) the affectionate crusader sort of looks like cute Muslim chick.

P.S. I wonder how many diggers had physiques like that after eating bully beef and shitting through the eye of a needle for 18 months because of the dysentry.
The Editor (Wednesday 30 January 2008, 1:35 pm) #

Brilliant. Those lads do look rather effeminate — the crusader looks like he’s wearing lipstick.
Ant Rogenous (Wednesday 30 January 2008, 2:47 pm) #

Those images risk fatwah for two reasons.

Potentially three reasons, if while looking at the third image you cracked a fat, Wah.
The Editor (Wednesday 30 January 2008, 3:35 pm) #

* Boom, tish! *
Ant Rogenous (Wednesday 30 January 2008, 3:44 pm) #

Take my wife. Please.
John Surname (Wednesday 30 January 2008, 3:58 pm) #

Saucy.

Social historians should do an in-depth study of your hard drive.
kat (Wednesday 30 January 2008, 4:24 pm) #

how is this army recruitment propaganda? seems to me leist that was promoting peace and love more than anything else…

any solider who was enticed to sign up after viewing those posters probably ended up seriously disappointed by his army experience. mateship? check. guns? check. blowjobs? nope!

talk about false advertising.
Ant Rogenous (Wednesday 30 January 2008, 4:32 pm) #

I could’ve sworn Diggers were issued with field tunics (or battle blouses, as Stephen Fry once called them) too.
krypto (Wednesday 30 January 2008, 6:00 pm) #

“tone more gay than gruesome” seems he has captured equal measures of both.
Damian (Wednesday 30 January 2008, 7:19 pm) #

Potentially three reasons, if while looking at the third image you cracked a fat, Wah.

Tee bloody hee. An excellent effort, Ant. Any feedback from Dazza?
Dr. Cam (Thursday 31 January 2008, 1:02 pm) #

Was this post written in the knowledge that, despite being a vicious homophobe, Darrin has no problem selling homosexual pornography for a living… or is that just a hilarious coincidence?
Ant Rogenous (Thursday 31 January 2008, 1:05 pm) #

Hilarious coincidence.
Dr. Cam (Thursday 31 January 2008, 1:33 pm) #

Haha… A cursory investigation of titles available from Darrin’s employer include Sword Master - a ripper of a tale featuring stunningly handsome men, hot locations (from imperial palaces to steamy Roman baths) and sizzling, non-stop sex - and Marc Anthony - The marriage between Cleopatra and Marc Anthony will join ancient Rome and Egypt under one single throne.. But while the Queen of Egypt can only offer Marc Anthony a crown, the handsome palace slaves offer him their bodies! - but no titles concerning either the Crusades or Aussie diggers.

Pick up your game, cobber.
Mikey (Thursday 31 January 2008, 9:08 pm) #

Ant, that’s gold. I fully went in to that not expecting the end result.
Ant Rogenous (Thursday 31 January 2008, 9:17 pm) #

Thanks Mikey.